Junior doctors continuing their industrial action at Salford Royal with a two-day withdrawal of labour say they have seen strong public approval.
The 48-hour strike – the fourth since January – started on Wednesday and continues today, Thursday 7 April.
Junior medical staff are providing emergency care only until 8am on Friday 8 April.
Shifts are being covered by consultants, who have agreed to step in at Salford’s flagship hospital while the strike action continues.
The row focuses on contracts the government is already imposing: new terms forced through by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, which mean young medics will have to work more evening and weekend shifts.
This is despite consistent opposition from the British Medical Association, the union that represents medical professionals in the UK.
Political support against the imposition of contracts is growing.
The BMA is now mounting a judicial review against the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s insistence on new contracts.
They say the government has “failed to pay due regard to the equalities impact” of the contracts, and that Hunt doesn’t have the right in law to compel hospital trusts to enforce new contracts.
Salford MP Rebecca Long-Bailey joined Salford City Mayoral candidate Paul Dennett on the frontlines at Salford Royal yesterday morning.
Solidarity with Junior Doctors on strike at Salford Royal. It was hailing when myself and @paul4citymayor got there! pic.twitter.com/0QbtplDD3u
— Rebecca Long-Bailey (@RLong_Bailey) April 6, 2016
Hundreds of readers on SalfordOnline.com’s 17,000-member Facebook group responded to a call to see how the public felt about striking doctors.
Rebecca Louise Jones wrote: “Support them – new rota aren’t safe for patients (and will wreck the doctors as no tine for proper sleep/impact on home life)”
Julie Howes added: “100% support them I’ve been a nurse for 37 years and never thought I would see the day they have had no choice they have to make a stand for all…”
Jonathan Buck posted: “I support the doctors the hours they’re now expected to do it’s only a matter of time before there’s a fatality as they’re suffering effects of sleep deprivation.
“Shame on you David Cameron and your bunch of crooks destroying the NHS even more fight for what you Believe in juniors doctors.”
Emma Higham commented: “It’s like telling teachers that they’ve got to start working all the school holidays and getting no more money!! The problem is it’ll put people off going into the profession and then in 10 years we will have no new doctors coming through because they can earn more working in an office working 9-5 mon to Friday.”
The comments go on (and on) here.
Walkden doctor Sophie Connor, 26, explained to us from the picket line back in January how she was already working 70-hour weeks and the new terms would put patient health at risk.
The nature and character of this industrial action is rapidly evolving as the dispute between the Government and the British Medical Association rolls on.
Security staff at the hospital asked that photojournalists not enter hospital grounds to capture pictures of the picket lines, a significant shift in policy compared to two months ago.
Medics outside Salford Royal hospital told SalfordOnline.com that hundreds of drivers going past on Eccles Old Road were beeping their horns in support.
“We regret the impact this is having on patients, but there would be no point in having a strike if there was no impact,” said Mark, one junior doctor shivering in the cold outside the hospital’s main entrance.
“Accident and Emergency units are chronically understaffed already. All we want is for Jeremy Hunt to look again at these contracts.”
“We’ve had tremendous support from consultants, who are covering our work over the next two days and great support from the public.”
The BMA will consider more industrial action at the end of April if Hunt does not back down.
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